Creative destruction: Self-driving cars

Fast Company article "Self-Driving Cars Will Be The Biggest Auto Safety Innovation Ever" here states:

"… autonomous vehicles could reduce traffic accidents by 90%, according to a new report from McKinsey. In the process, our new robot cars will save us $190 billion in wrecked cars, broken bones, and other costs incurred by plowing into things with our current fleet of brain-driven cars."

Large corporations are incremental improvement bound.  Let's remember that the self-driving car did not emerge from any of the large automotive companies.  I am looking forward to the automotive future.  It will disrupt the complete supply chain associated with automotive.  Schumpeter's Creative Destruction will manifest itself here rather quickly.

Airlines: Customer service matters

US airlines when compared to their international rivals lag so significantly that one dares not put up a comparison chart.  As an international traveler, I always opt for one of the airlines from the (Persian) Gulf countries, give it a try once to experience what air travel should be like.

The USA Today article "U.S. airlines contend Gulf rivals are subsidized unfairly" here discusses a report by the big three US Airlines that contends subsidies to the Gulf airlines to the tune of $42 billion.  As a customer, I want good service and a comfortable flight, and I am willing to pay for it.

Just for fun, have a look at the 2014 World's Top 100 Airlines ratings on SKYTRAX here.  First US airlines Delta shows up at no. 45.  When you are so far down, simple subsidies are not the only reason.

Nuclear power and the US

One educated as a Nuclear Engineer and having to leave it for its speed in implementation, design, regulatory oversight, lack of innovation, etc., the article on Fox Business "Delays for SC nuclear plant further pressure industry" here, further highlights how the US continues to lag the rest of the world.

Nuclear will be an essential ingredient in the success of energy for all.  The article on WSJ details the various concerns here.

Google and robotics

Google had removed the company Schaft, Inc. it had bought in late 2013 from the DARPA Robotics Challenge, details on the Challenge here.  Details on Schraft on BBC here, and for a perspective see WSJ article on the topic here.